THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1917. RULE THROUGH TERROR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16988, 26 April 1917, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1917. RULE THROUGH TERROR.

Foil all" their cleiulness to the instincts of humanity, the leaders of Germany :n this war of aggression, earned out by them with a barbarity for which no modern parallel exists, are not insensitive to the opinion of an onlookmg world. This is suggested by tho repellent hypocrisy which characterises utterances offered fer public consumption by* German statesmen, and constitutes a feature of German communications Avith neutral PoAvers. Many of her vilest deeds Germany has sought to justify by arguments and allegations that have only heightened the offence. Her attempts to save her name in the eyes of the world, to remove from her acts the terrible construction that attaches to them, have boon-as clumsy as they have been futile. Yet she will assuredly continue to serve out that crude admixture of effrontery and whining that has already nauseated all to whom it has been addressed. She has violated international laws ad libitum, and in so doing has piled murder upon treachery and dishonour. In tho coming day when she is called to account before a tribunal of the nations that stand for those ideals which she has trampled in the dust, she will endeavour to plead justification for many of her misdeeds and to deny the committal of others. But before the bar of the world she stands convicted already on a thousand counts, and the documentary evidence of her crimes constitutes an appalling record from which there is no escape. Much of that evidence, moreover, has been supplied by Germany herself. Every French and Belgian village which the invading troops have occupied has contributed its page to the huge indictment. A reproduction in facsimile of a number of the proclamations in Belgium and France with Avhich the Germans have plastered tho walls of cities, towns,- and villages in the invaded territories presents a picture that is perhaps riot less eloquent than the verbal evidence of the actual Avitnesses of these barbarities and is certainly quite as convincing, of the horrors of the implacable reign of terror instituted by the enemy. These proclamations represent dictates and threats bad enough in themselves, but the violence of their terms' has often been far surpassed by the enemy in the matter of actual fulfilment. In their cold-blooded . exactitude they may be permitted, however, to speak for themselves, and they cover a .wide period from which a few choice samples are readily drawn.

For curt brutality the order issued by General von Bulow to the people of Liege on August 22, 1914, when the war was only three weeks old lias scarcely been surpassed. . It reads: " The population of Ardenne, after making a display of peaceful intentions towards our troops, attacked them in the most treacherous manner. With niy authorisation the general commanding these troops has reduced the town to ashes, and has had 110 persons shot. I: bring, this fact to the knowledge of the people of Liege in order that they may know what fate to expect should they adopt a similar attitude." Yet the assertion that the German troops received any provocation whatever to revenge came only from a German source, and there is little doubt that the so-called reprisals were started by the enemy in cold blood with the very object of giving point to just such a shameless proclamation as followed. An object lesson upon the method of terrorising a town is offered in a proclamation, issued in the same month to the inhabitants of the French town of Saint Die. It was signed by General Knoerzer, and in it a spurious promise of security was followed by most precise warnings as to what would be under German martial law, including the destruction and burning of the whole town, if the population were guilty of any acts of hostility. In every case of disobedience the penalty mentioned was death,- sentries had orders to fire withouii challenge at any persons seen on the streets between eight in the evening and seven in. the morning, and death was threatened upon every person" found in any house from which a firearm \yas discharged. A proclamation to the people of Rheims, dated September 12, 1914, mentioned the seizure of over 80 hostages who would'be shot if there was "the least disorder." What a phrase so elastic as "the least disorder" might mean in the German interpretation may well have given the hostages food for much anxious thought. It has been recorded that at Louvain on August 25, 1914, some German soldiers had fired on one another the " disorder" being punished by a massacre of the civilian population. At a later date, September 22, 1915J the people of Lille were notified that four citizens had been shot that day for the heinous crime of having concealed an English aviator and facilitated his passage to France, the offence being treated as "espionage." From patriotism to espionage in the German mind has beeii an easy descent in conquered territory. _ One of the worst of these proclamations, if distinction be possible, was issued from Brussels by Governor von der Goltz on October 5, 1914. It announced: "In future the inhabitants of places situated near railways and telegraph lines which have been destroyed will be punished without mercy, whether they are guilty of this destruction or not. For this purpose hostages have been taken in all places, in the vicinity of railways in danger of similar attacks; and at the first attempt to destroy any railway, telegraph, or telephone line, they will be shot immediately." The observation of a commentator that this announcement would have been still more startling if von der Golte had added that no guilt whatever attached to the acts complained of, since they were committed by the Belgian forces as legitimate acts of war, seems all-sufficient. It was no doubt the effectiveness of this rearguard warfare earned on by the Belgian patrols that made the Germans determined to wreak vengeance on innocent civilians in order to bring it to a stop. The proclamation by General von Bissing relative to the execution of Edith Cavell and others is already too notorious to need further comment here, but if we pass on to April of last year we come to two interesting proclamations governing the infamous deportations from LHle,°moro comparable to slave raids than to anything else. The order posted up on houses in that city was that "All the inhabitants of the house, with the exception of ' children' under 14 and their mothers, and also of old people, must prepare themselves for transportation in an hour and a-half's time." This was accompanied by the admonition "All appeals will be useless," and the significant warning, "Anyone attempting to ovade transportation will be punished without mercy." From Lille, Roubaix, and Tirrcoing 25,000 French civilians were deported at that time under harrowing circumstances with which the world has been made familiar—the procursor of a series of slave raids that lias indelibly branded the name of Germany with infamy. Of these enemy proclamations bespattering the walls of Belgian and French towns and villages, it may be said generally that they tell us no

more than wo have already learned long since. But to see them reproduced in absolute facsimile, the-so inhuman documents breathing ruthless dominance and cruelly, and injustice without limitation in every line, conveys a perhaps more realistic: impression than any to ho gained otherwise of what the invaded territories on the western front have suffered under the brutal heel of the Germans. They constitute in themselves a record so damning that of all words of ill-omen to German ears at the present time- , the word "reparation" must sound the most terrifying.

It would be affectation on our part to pretend that Ave do not regard the result of tho election for tho mayoralty of the city as 0110 upon which the community is to be congratulated. The victory achieved by the retiring Mayor is greater, wo surmise, than most people expected it would be, for it was fairly evident, as tho contest drew to a close, that the objection which was urged against his candidature, that au. unduly long term of office is secured by any Mayor who now obtains re-election, was regarded by considerable numbers of people in all classes of society as possessed of a good deal of cogency. The extent of the majority that was obtained by Mr dark shows, hoAvever, that the conviction, if not always strongly expressed, was at any rate deeply entertained not only that his self-sacrificing exertions during the past tAvo years merited such recognition as it was in tho pr>Aver of the citizens to accord him by electing him for a second time as their chief magistrate, but also that it was in the interests of the city itself that it should x retain for another term, in the. course of which the Avar will surely come to an end, the Mayor Avho, during tAvo years of disappointment though never of despair, of anxiety and sorrow though never of dejection, has worthily represented the citizens in their patriotic activities, and has, time without number, ably expressed their sentiments respecting the war. Mr Clark's triumphant re-election is, in view of the factors that were in operation against him, a signal personal compliment to himself as well as a clear manifestation of the feeling of the ejectors that the principle of "the rolling office," upon Avhich his opponents laid so much Aveight, is not to be regarded as applicable in every set of circumstances

It is no satisfaction to -us that, through Mr Isaac Green's defeat for the mayoralty, the city is deprived of the benefit of his services in the administration of its affairs. It is, indeed, distinctly unfortunate that this is the necessary effect of the mayoral e'ection. Mr Green has done a great' deal of useful work, the value of which is certainly not ignored by the electors who, for i-easons peculiar to the circumstances of the times, felt themselves unabln to vote for him in preference to the retirintr Mayor. After all, the arguments by which his candidature was supported resolved themselves into this: that the retiring Mayor had had a c;ood spell of office, and that Mr Green deserved a turn. That argument was, however, more plausible than convincing at a time when the duties of the mayoral office are of the multifarious description which, as we know, has marked them since the war broke out, and when it was especially necessary that the city should have at its head a man who had proved- his capacity to meet effectively the severe demands that are made in such circumstances upon the occupant of the mayoral office. We have had mayors in Dunedin who have done efficient service in normal times, but whom the citizens would scarcely credit with the ability to rise to the height of the opportunity presented during the war ; and, in deciding to retain Mr Clark in office for another term, the electors have simply expressed their judgment that, when they have a Mayor who has represented them faithfully and well during a critical period, they should not discard his services until that period is at an end. It is to be regretted, in one sense, that their judgment upon this point involves the exclusion of Mr Green from municipal life. His exclusion need, however, be only temporary if some one or other of the councillors who have shown go much anxiety that he should be elected, in order that his career may be crowned by his election to the mayoralty, will only resign his seat to admit of Mr Green returning to the council table and offering himself as a candidate for the mayoralty in more favourable circumstances.

Tire municipal electors must generally have felt somewhat embarrassed by the formidableness of the duty that was imposed upon them yesterday when they were 'invited to make a selection of eighteen members of the City Council. Our first experience of voting in an undivided borough has been somewhat unfortunate, because the proportion of electors who found themselves, from sheer ignorance of the qualifications of the candidates, unable to record votes in favour of anything like eighteen of the aspirants for their suffrages must have been very considerable. As a plain matter of fact nearly 100,000 votes, in the aggregate were not exercised. It is disappointing, also, that there was an almost entire absence in this year's election of fresh candidates of the class—a class composed of men who are known throughout Greater Dunedin by reason of their business experience or public services—whom the abolition of the ward system was expected to attract into municipal life. Possibly, the pressure of war circumstances, entailing the need of a closer attention to their businesses through the depletion of their staffs, has this year prevented the candidature of citizens with special qualifications for service on a council which carries on important commercial undertakings. As it was, the retiring councillors possessed an undoubted ad° vantage at the poll in the fact that in a general way they were better known than the other candidates, and only three of them failed to secure re-election. Mr Gilkison and Dr Gordon Macdonald return to the council, and new figures'among the councillors are Messrs Kelletfc and Bradley, both of whom, it may confidently be said, owe their election to their patriotic activities. There was, on the whole, fairly close voting both in the election of members of the City Council and in that of members of the Hospital Board. The one unsuccessful candidate Tor a seat on the latter body was Mr Walker, who has been chairman of the board for the past few years, and has certainly ■ been its most hard-worked member. We can only account for his defeat on the assumption that the electors have regarded him as the head and front of the offending of the board in the matter of its dereliction in respect! of_ tho purchase of the secondary hospital site.

The interest in the mayoral election in Christchurch this year was far from local. Tho Labour Representation Committee in that city, consisting, according to its own declaration, of delegates from the Trades and Labour Council, from " every trade union of any importance in Christchurch," from the Social Democratic Party, the Socialist Party, tho Peace Council, the Women's International League, the Conscription Repeal League, and from "all other progressive bodies," deliberately presented Mr M'Combs, M.P., as its" candidate on the platform of which hostility to the Military Service Act was the principal, if indeed it was not the only, plank. What the law which provides for the compulsory military service of eligible men of all classes has. to do with municipal ]>olitics we are totally at a loss to know. The effect of tho action of the Labour Representation Committee was to introduce an issue of general politics into an arena where it was wholly out of place. As things have turned out, howover, it

cannot bo regretted that tho committee threw this issue down for settlement. The executive of tho New Zealand Labour Party affirmed, in its notorious manifesto to. the workers of Australia, that the organised workers of New Zealand were opposed to conscription. Within the last few days, the secretary of the Federation of Labour declared, in a telegram to the Acting Prime Minister, that the West Const miners, in striking against conscription, were expressing the attitude of organised labour throughout Australasia. TliG result of tho mayoral election in Christchurch is an effective answer to these audacious statements. If organised labour in Christchurch were opposed to conscription .Mr. irCombs would have been elected to tho mayoralty. The opponents of tho Military Service Act selected their own convincing ground, doubtless actuated, in doing so, by the fact that Christchurch enjoys the' singular rcpiitntion o£ being more hospitable to crazy notions than any other city in New Zea-1-md is. And they have had their answer. The re-election 'of Mr Holland bv a swingeing majority—by nearly 70CO votes —should completely dispose of the silly fiction that the Military Service Act is unpopular in the dominion. •

Titerk are indications that the question of the adonuate maintenance of the food supply of tho United Kingdom is causing increasing anxiety to the department over Avhich Lord Devonport preside.?. Wero it otherwise Ave should not have had Mich an expression of opinion and warning as has been conveyed in the words of MiKennedy Jones, Avhich, by virtue of the fact that it emanates from one Avho holds a position ai organiser in that department, has all the weight of official authority. Mr Kennedy Jones declares that the submarine menace is becoming greater than ever, and that unless the people further reduce their consumption of 'breadstuffs they may be brought to the edge of disaster before the next harvest -is gathered. This statement is clearly intended to impress very strongly on the public mind the necessity for the practice of a more careful economy on the lines laid doAvn in Lord Devonport's voluntary rationing scheme. The appearances suggest that the results of this scheme are proving disappointing or at least inadequate to effect a material improvement in the situation. It can hardly be imagined that the population of the Old Country, as a Avhole, has yet accepted Lord Devonport's appeal as one with Avhich it is in honour bound to comply, or that it is consen'ing its food supply to the best advantage by strict economy of consumption. Othenvise ihese grave warnings and admonitions would lose much of their force.

While the prospect that voluntary rationing in Great Britain will produce the end that is aimed at seems none too hopeful, the authorities will be the more anxious to render it efficacious since they will apparently do everything possible to avoid recourse to compulsory rationing, a system of which Germany lias not had a" very favourable experience. Mr Kennedy Jones particularly emphasises breadstufl's as the commodity that is liable to exhaustion, and the fact that the Food Controller's Department is about to take over all fiour.Tiills in the United Kingdom with more than a certain output and that the Board of Agriculture, after a conference with farmers, has directed that three million acres of pasture land in England and Wales must be ploughed for -wheat in the coming autumn give point to his words. Great Britain's seaborne trade is standing magnificently the persistent attack to which it is being subjected, and it is not suggested that it will not continue to do so. But it is the very serious contingency of a shortage., prior to next harvest, due to the interference with.shipping, that the Food Controller's Department has to guard against, and it is to be hoped that it will not have to go on complaining of the difficulty of bringing the public to realise fully its duty in this matter. A cablegram from Washington has rather significantly described the Allies' immediate requests to the United States as being for food alone.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that a start was made yostorday to unload a vessel which has been lying unworked and full of coal for somo time. Unloading was also' begun on another full collier, which had just arrived.

A motor car and a motor cycle came into collision on. the Main Slouth road, a little beyond the tramway terminus, yesterday afternoon. It is understood that as a result of avoiding some boys who were playing marbles on the road, the cyclist got on hia wrong side. Both the car and cycle were somewhat damaged, and the rider of .the latter ivas somewhat shaken.

The treatment meted out to returned soldiers in the Government employ at the Hillside workshops in connection withAnzac Day was the occasion of a big maso meeting at the works at noon yesterday. The returned men were not released from work, and it became _ necessary on tho part of those wishing to take part in the celebrations to ask for leave, which was granted, but on tho understanding that wages would be docked for tho time lost. The meeting carried a resolution expressing indignation that the .Railway I>epartment had not granted leave on pay notwithstanding that all Government offices were closed on Monday without loss of salary to the employees. It was further resolved to receive subscriptions to make up the loss of pay to tho returned men who took part in the, celebrations, any surplus to go to tho Returned Soldiers' Association. A vote of censure on tho Government was aleo parsed for not granting at least two hours' leave to enable the men to pay respect to the memory of those- who had sacrificed their lives at Gallipoli. Sincere sympathy was expressed with all who had been horeaved by the loss of relatives or friends fallen in battle defending our freedom and our homes.

With reference to a paragraph in a recent issue recording as a novelty tho introduction from Scotland of tho Longworthy potato, wo are informed that this variety was imported two or three years ago by tho manager of Mr Bell's Shag Valley Station, whore a considerable area has been grown this season, and has done well. Other sorts specially imported from Scotland in the last year or two arc Kildus Castle, Epicura, and Arran Chie f The last-named variety especially seems to have been tho subject of a mild boom in the Scottish Lowlands, and specimens wore brought to Now Zealand by the owner of tho station in tho course of a recent visit to the Ayr district of Scotland, and have boon carefully increased with a view to distribution. The Longworthy, however, is a year or two ahead of it at tho station.

There is on view in a shop in Ohristclmrch (says the Press) a quinnat salmon yearling, or smolt, which was taken by a well-known Christchurch angler on tho fly in tho Waimakariri about two miles above White's bridge. The fish is about five or six inches in length. It is reported that others have been caught, on herring linos at tho mouth of the riven. Tho information is interesting from the fact that it proves that qninnat aro now brooding in tho Waimakariri, and that last season's hatchings are now on thoir way to tho sea. ,

An instanco of tho straite to which part of the management of an Auckland dairy factory was reduced in a former coa] crisis was mentioned by Mr H. E. Paccy managing director of tho New Zealand' Dairy Association. Having used up all the availablo coal, and then all tho firewood that could be procured, tho manager started upon the fonce poets of hra works, and had them fed into tho fnrnaoes. By this means he succeeded in keeping his machinery at work until the crisis was ended.

A Press Association message from Wellington stater, that tho Imperial Government advises that tho war risk on produce (ins been raised to five guineas per cent. The thirteenth annual meeting of trie Navy League (Ofcago branch) will bo held in tho City Council Chamber on Friday, at 4.30 p.m. Tho annual meetings of tho branch havo invariably proved exceptionally interesting, being , concerm d with questions 'of Imperial interest. Professor 11. 1). Bedford and Dr Drcnha.ii (who v/ill take tho placu of Dr Barnett, tho latter having boon summoned bo Wellington) will give appropriate- addresses, and the proceedings will bo confined within the hour. l'irsfc rate progress is being made at tho Canterbury Aviation Company's grounds at Sockburu (saya tho Christchurch Press), and with the arrival of Mr Hill, who should arrive hero about the end of the month, it is probable that some preliminary flights will bo made. At the present time two of the largo hangars and the machine shop are well on their way to completion, and another hangar is fairly well advanced. A good start has also been made with the students' quarters, whicli, when finished, should be a comfortable and adequate set of buildings. Jt contains 12 sleeping apartments, and a. big dining-room and sittingroom for tho pupils, with all necessary offices and outbuildings. At present Mr J. G. M'Kia, tho aeroplane mechanic and expert, is patting the finishing touches on tho "school bus," double-seated Canadian biplane, with a 60 horse-power six-cylinder Anzani engine. Tho whole, plane is a re-, inarkably well-finished 'and erfective-looking machine, and its strong points are its comfpvt, safety, and general The Bleriot monoplane, which tho French aviator, M. Contorier, had out at Rollcston, and which has been acquired by the company from Mr Crozicr, occupies one of tho hangars. This machine has been fitted up, and though it will not be used for flying, it will bo very handy for pupils to lea-m' to run about on the ground with—a preliminary part of their training—and its- uso will save a great deal of wear and tear on tho newer machines. The company Has also another 45 horse-powor Anzani engine, which is in excellent order, and will be handy as a c-par'e. At a moating of tho Masterton Chamber of Commerce on Friday, the president (Mr R. Brown) introduced the question of the operations of tho American Meat Trust in New Zealand. "Tho Meat Trust," said Mr Brbwn, "is the cause of much of tho dearness of meat in New Zealand. It would bo ono of the worst things that could happen if tho meat trust were to get a hold of our meat." 2'lr J. Caselberg said that he was of opinion that the question was ono for Parliament to act in connection with, not for chambers of commerce. "The country members of Parliament." he said, " are not asleep to the seriousness of tho position, and will very quickly move if occasion demands." Mr Graham stated that he had known the American Meat • Trust, in ono form or another, to have operated in New Zealand for 20 years or more. The matter was eventually dropped. A frozen produce industry which is newly getting established is that of frozen fish 500,0001b of which is for tho first time being served out as a weekly ration to the. British camp in Great Britain (writes our London correspondent). This is an important outlet for the big Canadian lake and sea fisheries, which suffered a big checli in demand at the start of tho war° and the industry, once on its feet, may extend and become a regular ono after tho war to consumers -in different parts of Europe. It is a. striking fact that whereas there, is a freight charge of Id per lb on halibut and salmon between Prince Rupert, on tho Pacific coast, and Liverpool, it costs id or more per pound to take fish from Grimsby to London. .

Addressing tho twenty-seventh Grand Council of the Australasian Holy Catholic Guild at Sydney, Archbishop Kelly said: ".The duty of all sections of the community in the great crisis is to stand behind the men at the front—(applause) and make them certain that they aro not forgotten. These are the men the country ■wants. Let us all be glad that Australia, rose to such a height in the fulfilment of her duty in defence of the Empire.— (Cheers.) There should be harmony and goodwill amongst men. Our Catholic guilds should drop tho word 'sectarianism.' Sectarianism is like a wasp. It sucks the sweet and honey of life."

W. Wilson, of America, has declared war on Germany. W. Wilson, of Dunedin is selling 1917 model Harley-Davidsons. Remarkable machines having- no equaL Advt Mollisons offer this week lovely Jap silk dressing gowns, 37s 6d for 255; dressing jackets, 22s 6d for 15s; all new colourings.— Advt.

Your health demands best. Wateon's No 10 is choicest of whiskies.—Advt.

Wo_ have always a good word for "No Rubbing"- Laundry Help, because it has justly earned its wonderful reputation as the abolisher of washboard slavery, and also because a "Thinker's" Notebook is given free with every Is pocket.—Wolfcnden and Russell, South Dnnedin.—Advt.

For Influenza take "Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. Ne-ver fails. Is 6d, 2s 6d Advt. y

A. K J. Blakeley, dentist. Bank of An* iralasm, corner of Bond and Eattray strwti tnoxt lolograph Office). TcJeplione 1859 — •Advt.

Launch owners, motorists, and o< hers don't have trouble. Buy our Columbia Hotshot Batteries. We. have a fine assortment of Dry Batteries, Accumulators, Lamps Holders etc for ignition and lighting pur' poses.—Turnbull and Jones -(Limited) oleoincal engineers. Dunedin.— Advt. " Who is Peter DickJ-Tho most reUabu \N.itenmaker, Jeweller, and Certificated Cos suiting Optician, 490 Moray place (oit iVfhce* street), Duncdiu. Charges moderate.—Acivr